Vienna offers two main types of subsidized housing: privately owned flats—those rented from an individual or a company—and privately owned flats.

1. 1. Municipal Flats (Gemeindebauwohnungen)

These flats are located in municipal buildings known as Gemeindebauten, which often have large inscriptions on their facades indicating their social status and date of construction.

They are rented directly from the City of Vienna through a dedicated housing service called Wiener Wohnen.

To apply, you must:

• • Be at least 17 years old
  • Have had your current flat in Vienna as your main residence continuously for the past two years (this also applies to anyone moving in with you)
  • Be an Austrian citizen, an EU/EEA citizen, a recognized refugee, or a third-country national with a permanent residence card or Daueraufenthaltstitel – EU (the same conditions apply to anyone moving in with you)
  • Earn less than the maximum after-tax income threshold. At the time of writing, the limits are:
    • €57,600 per year (€4,114.29 per month) for one person
    • €85,830 per year (€6,130.71 per month) for a household of two
    • €97,130 per year (€6,937.86 per month) for a household of three
    • €108,420 per year (€7,744.29 per month) for a household of four
    • Plus €6,330 per year (€452.14 per month) for each additional person

1. 2. Cooperative Flats (Genossenschaftswohnungen)

These flats are provided by housing cooperatives (Genossenschaften), officially classified as non-profit housing associations (gemeinnützige Bauvereinigungen or GBV).

There are many such associations, including Erste Gemeinnützige Wohnungsgesellschaft – Heimstätte GmbH (EGW), Vienna’s first cooperative housing provider. Listings can be found on gbv.at or via the City of Vienna’s housing counseling service at wohnberatung-wien.at.

To rent a cooperative flat, you must pay a financing contribution (Finanzierungsbeitrag), which covers a share of the construction and land costs. The amount varies depending on the flat’s size, age, and location.

For each year you rent the flat, 1% of the financing contribution is deducted as a tenancy fee. So, if you move out after five years, you will get your financing contribution back minus 5%.

1. 3. Affordable Flats through Sozialbau AG

Another option for affordable housing is Sozialbau AG, an association of several non-profit housing companies. Most shares are held by the Vienna Insurance Group and the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ): https://www.sozialbau.at/ 

A Century of Social Housing in Vienna

Vienna has a long tradition of state-funded municipal housing dating back 100 years. The city’s first Gemeindebau, the Metzleinstaler Hof, was built in 1925, followed by other early developments such as the Rabenhof and the vast Karl-Marx-Hof.

The Gemeindebau program was launched as a response to an acute housing crisis triggered by the economic collapse following the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It was the brainchild of Vienna’s first Social Democratic government and proved a resounding success, delivering over 60,000 flats in the first ten years alone.

Housing cooperatives (Genossenschaften) predate the Gemeindebau scheme. Vienna’s first cooperative building, the Engerthhof in the 20th district, was completed in 1907 as EGW’s debut project.